When we think about planes, we think about crashes. After all, it’s natural to associate a vehicle that exists to defy gravity with the consequences of falling victim to it. We often forget that these craft are little more than super-elaborate paper airplanes; the vast majority of the body exists purely to contain the passengers, not to perform any vital function to the aeronautics. As a result, all you really need do to fix superficial damage to a plane’s body is make it airtight — and stay at a low altitude. Even that is of course easier said than done, however, as we rarely have access to the materials necessary to patch up a hull, or do we?

A group of photos tells the tale, which comes from the Alaskan wilderness. The Alaskan Dispatch has an interview with the victim’s family, but the gist is this: whether for a love of fish, a hatred of planes, or for the taste of delicious steel, a large Alaskan bear decided to maul a small plane parked near its home. And maul it did — when the pilot returned to his plane, there were huge holes in the side and tail of his transport, both wheels were flat, and huge scratches marred much of the rest. Most people would have radioed out for a dejected lift back to civilization, but 28-year-old Luke Miller instead sent out a call for supplies.

Here’s one view of the damage, which was extensive to say the least.

Gratefully accepting two new tires, a couple of spare parts and plastic wrap , and 25 rolls of duct tape. The venerable workhorse of western society was first patched over the small cuts, then made a lattice over the more gaping holes. This became the scaffold for multiple layers of cross-hatched duct tape — not just air tight, but tough as well. With his fuselage newly patched, Miller was able to fly the plane back to Anchorage, apparently without the slightest problem.

As to the bear’s motivations, many have speculated that it was after fish, but the Millers point out that the fish was in its air-tight ice locker. More likely, in some people’s minds, is that the bear became enraged by the boarding up of a meat shed it had liked to raid, taking its feelings out on a the poor, innocent airplane. Above is a picture of the final, flight-ready duct tape airplane. View the gallery of 6 images here.